Since I got the Vario to replace the Rocky, I've started making singles, something I simply could not achieve before. This forced me to spend some time on HB to learn how to pull singles.
On 58mm baskets, some have had success pulling singles by using two tampers sizes:
1. grind half the dose
2. use the small tamper to compress coffee inside the basket middle section
3. grind the rest of the dose
4. distribute and tamp with the regular 58mm tamper
This made me reach for the el-cheapo plastic tamper that came with the Silvia (with one large end of ~58mm and a smaller end), and yes, it does work on singles where my Reg Barber failed consistently (!).
Before ordering different accessories for the VII, I'd like to confirm whether or not such a drill is required for the La Spaziale 53mm single basket.
Here is what I found searching the site:
In viewtopic.php?p=14231:
Endo wrote:If you like traditional Italian style drinks, then the Vivaldi is definitely the right machine for you.
It seems to be pretty much designed around the 7g and 14g Italian espresso experience. It makes very good singles (best of any machine I tried so far). In my opinion the singles and doubles are about the same quality, just a slightly different taste.
And in viewtopic.php?p=2033#p2033:Endo wrote:I get the feeling this machine was really built around the Italian single with the double being secondary. It would explain the 53mm PF.
It does a good job a both singles and doubles but it really likes smaller doses. Which is fine. It saves money and doesn't over caffeinate me.
So... is a second, smaller, tamper required to pull singles successfully on the VII?Niko wrote:I use the Espro, Coffee Labs and two different Thor Tampers. I know I have a 5th somewhere but I can't remember which one at the moment.
My favorite is none, I love all of them all for their unique uses. The Espro clicks at 32lbs so I love pulling it out for singles and to occasionally check my technique every other month or so, it fits in the baskets kind of loosely (not a tight fit at all) but I love it for that since it gives me room to bump, wiggle and spin polish the grinds.
I intend to buy an Espro Convex 53mm as my main tamper (to fix yet another one of the too many variables in espresso making).